Ted Dekker has long been a powerful storyteller, and with his second release in the secular market, he is sure to become the next big name in fiction. Following in the footsteps of BoneMan's Daughters, The Bride Collector is another serial killer novel, yet somehow Dekker manages to make it break out of the mold and rise above the standard fare. The secret, in this case, is Paradise.
Paradise and the other residents of the Center for Wellness and Intelligence are gifted individuals who are also mentally ill. Roudy can see patterns and connections no one else can; he also has delusions of grandeur and believes he is a crucial member of the FBI. Andrea is incredible with numbers; she also has an invisible friend named Betty and spends most of her time taking showers. But it is Paradise, an innocent young woman who may or may not be able to see dead people's memories when she touches them, who makes this story and these characters truly unforgettable. Through Paradise, Dekker forces the reader to rethink everything we know about mental illnesses, and to wonder if perhaps the real insanity lies outside the walls of a mental facility.
Brad Raines is the young, troubled FBI agent on the trail of a killer known as the Bride Collector, who glues his victims to the wall and drains their blood through their heels. When his clues lead him to the mental home, he reluctantly embraces help from the residents in an attempt to find the murderer. They will help him find more than anyone could realize.
The remarkable thing about this novel is that, all things considered, it is a love story. A story of love between God and mankind, between Brad Raines and Paradise. And despite this, or perhaps because of it, it still remains a gripping and fascinating thriller of highest quality. Definitely recommended.
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